Ecstatic Voices

11:03 am

Sun August 25, 2013

Atheists Take Old Hymns Out Of The Chapel And Into The Streets

The Renaissance Street Singers give a performance at the Winterdale Arch, near the West 81st Street gate in Central Park.

Joel RoseNPR

On a recent Sunday afternoon, 15 members of the Renaissance Street Singers gathered under a bridge in New York's Central Park. With little fanfare, they launched into a free, two-hour concert of music by Palestrina, des Prez and other composers who lived more than 500 years ago.

The Renaissance Street Singers have been performing sacred music in public spaces for 40 years. On city sidewalks, in train stations, in public parks — anywhere they can find an audience. But these singers insist that their mission is not a religious one. The group consists mostly of self-described atheists who nonetheless share a deep reverence for the hymns, psalms and motets of the 16th century.

Hetland says he's loved this music ever since he was a child growing up in Wisconsin, where his father was a Lutheran minister who taught his children to sing during long family car trips.

"It was religious music, when my dad was a minister," Hetland says. "I was religious at that time. We all were. None of us are now, as far as I know."

But Hetland says he still loves the music of the church. He moved to New York in the 1960s, and in 1973 put an ad in the Village Voice looking for singers who shared his love.

Janet Pascal was one of the first to answer the call.

"I saw them on the street, actually," Pascal says. "I remember I walked past them and I looked and thought, 'I would never do that,' because they're standing in the middle of a city street singing Renaissance music. And I thought I would never have the guts. And then I started thinking about it. And I thought, 'What a lovely thing to do.'"

Some passersby stop to listen for a song, or three. Others just keep walking. But Sigmund Rosen says the group is its own best audience, and that the music gives them plenty to work with.

"A lot of modern composers are pianists or theorists," Rosen says. "But they didn't start off necessarily as singers. All these Renaissance composers were singers. And the music that they made was built for singing."

The music was also built to be sung in church, by composers who believed deeply in the words they were setting to music — whereas most of the Renaissance Street Singers do not.

"I like to say that for an atheist and a Jew, I spend a lot time singing about Jesus," says Nancy Mandel, who's been singing with the group since the mid-'70s. "If I don't believe the actual things that are being said in the words, it's the act of singing together itself which is the most important meaningful thing — without which the rest of this couldn't happen."

A few of the singers are practicing Jews or Christians. But most identify as atheist or agnostic — including Daniel Winckler, who's a relative newcomer after only eight years with the group.

"Since I don't believe in God, the closest I get to a religious experience or an ecstatic experience is singing," Winckler says. "I still crave experiences that are transcendent in some way. And singing music, making music is one way."

The Renaissance Street Singers rehearse every week and perform twice a month, usually on Sunday afternoons. The group never charges admission, and it doesn't accept donations. The rewards, longtime member Janet Pascal says, are more emotional than material.

"It's like a family," Pascal says. "This is closer to a family than anything else I have in New York. I see the same people every other week. We know all about each other. We care about each other."

You might say it's like belonging to a church where the religion is music.

Copyright 2014 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.

Transcript

JACKI LYDEN, HOST:

All this year, NPR is exploring spiritual music across America in a series called Ecstatic Voices. Today's story takes us to New York City where the Renaissance Street Singers have been performing sacred music in public spaces for the last 40 years. These singers insist their mission is not a religious one. The group consists mostly of self-described atheists who nonetheless share a deep reverence for the hymns, psalms and motets of the 16th century, as NPR's Joel Rose reports.

JOEL ROSE, BYLINE: Every other weekend, the Renaissance Street Singers come together on city sidewalks and train stations and public parks - anywhere they can find an audience.

(SOUNDBITE OF GROUP SINGING IN LATIN)

ROSE: On this summer afternoon, 15 singers gather under a bridge in New York's Central Park. They launched into a free two-hour concert of music by Palestrina, des Prez and other composers who lived more than 500 years ago.

ROSE: John Hetland is the founder and director of the Renaissance Street Singers. Hetland says he's loved this music ever since he was a child.

HETLAND: It's polyphonic music, and so each part has its own melody that's four or five or six melodies, which are very similar melodies, but they intertwine in very interesting ways.

(SOUNDBITE OF GROUP SINGING IN LATIN)

ROSE: Hetland grew up in Wisconsin where his father was a Lutheran minister who taught his children to sing during long family car trips.

HETLAND: It was religious music, when my dad was a minister. I was religious at that time. We all were. None of us are now, as far as I know.

ROSE: But Hetland still loves the music of the church. He moved to New York in the 1960s. In 1973, Hetland put an ad in the Village Voice looking for singers who shared his love. Janet Pascal was one of the first to answer the call.

JANET PASCAL: I saw them on the street, actually. I remember I walked past them and I looked and I thought, I would never do that, because, you know, they're standing in the middle of a city street singing Renaissance music. And I, you know, thought I would never have the guts. And then I started thinking about it. And I thought, what a lovely thing to do.

ROSE: Some passersby stop to listen for a song, or three. Others just keep walking. But Sigmund Rosen says the group is its own best audience, and the music gives them plenty to work with.

SIGMUND ROSEN: A lot of modern composers are pianists or theorists, but they didn't start off necessarily as singers. All these Renaissance composers were singers. And the music that they made was built for singing.

(SOUNDBITE OF GROUP SINGING IN LATIN)

ROSE: The music was also built to be sung in church by composers who believed deeply in the words they were setting to music, whereas most of the Renaissance Street Singers do not.

NANCY MANDEL: I like to say that for an atheist and a Jew, I spend a lot of time singing about Jesus.

ROSE: Nancy Mandel has also been singing with the group since the mid-'70s

MANDEL: If I don't believe the actual things that are being said in the words, it's the act of singing together itself which is the most important meaningful thing, without which the rest of this couldn't happen.

ROSE: A few of the singers are practicing Jews or Christians, but most identify as atheist or agnostic, including Daniel Winkler, who's a relative newcomer after only eight years with the group.

Since I don't believe in God, the closest I get to a religious experience or an ecstatic experience is singing. I still crave experiences that are transcendent in some way. And singing music, making music is one way.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

ROSE: The Renaissance Street Singers rehearse every week, and they perform twice a month, usually on Sunday afternoons. The group never charges admission, and it doesn't accept donations. The rewards, says longtime member Janet Pascal, are more emotional than material.

PASCAL: It's like a family. I mean, this is closer to a family than anything else I have in New York. I see the same people every other week. We know all about each other. We care about each other.

ROSE: You might say it's like belonging to a church where the religion is music. Joel Rose, NPR News, New York. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.